THE ACQUISITION OF ARITHMETIC IN NORMAL-CHILDREN - ASSESSMENT BY A COGNITIVE MODEL OF DYSCALCULIA

Developmental dyscalculia (DC) is a learning disability affecting the acquisition of arithmetic skills. The authors studied the normal devel opmental of arithmetic function of 200 normal children in grades 3 to 6. Number comprehension and production were well established by grade 3. With age and experience, children became more adept at addition, su btraction, multiplication and division for both number facts and compl ex exercises. The scores did not display a Gaussian distribution, but were negatively skewed. Low scores on the battery correlated well with the teacher's rating of the child's arithmetic knowledge, but not wit h reading ability. An estimate of the fifth centile was calculated. On the basis of these results, the authors conclude that this battery as sesses number knowledge. Use of the fifth centile as a cut-off point w ill aid in identification of children with DC.